Method and apparatus for nebulizing fuel oil



Jan. 21, 1930. w. E. SHORE 1,744,059

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR NEBULIZING FUEL OIL Filed April 22. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor.

Jan. 21, 1930.

w. E. SHORE 1,744,9 59

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR NEBULIZING FUEL OIL Filed April 22. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor.

III, 1'

Patented Jan. 21, 1930 UNITED STATES WILLIAM EDWARDSHORE, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

METHOD AND AI PPARATUS FOB NEBULIZING FUEL OIL Application filed April 22, 1922. Serial No. 555,983.

The objects of this invention are to facilitate the combustion of fuel oils by reducing them to such a fine state of division as to be readily supported in the atmosphere and consequently enabling a thorough mixture of air therewith to produce a more perfeet combustion, thereby effecting a material reduction in the cost of oil fueling and eliminating the smoke nuisance.

A still further object is to enable a perfect control of the combustion.

The principal feature of this invention consists in nebulizing the oil by introducing it into a chamber which through a mechanical movement is being rapidl increased in its volumetric capacity and su jecting the oil together with an elastic suspending medium such as air to a rapid and progressive expansion continuing to the moment of opening the chamber to discharge and utilizing the heat energy created through the discharge conditions, thus effecting a further-transformation of the nebulized oil by subjecting it suddenly to the pressure of previous discharge which is referably below the saturation pressure 0 part or all of the constituents of the oil.

In the drawings, .Figure 1 is a sectional diagrammatic view of a form of apparatus for putting this invention into effect.

Figure 2 is a diagrammaticillustration of .a means for handling the nebulized oil.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic illustration of the application of the invention to internal combustion engines.

Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the relative position of the rotor vanes as effecting the steps in the method.

This invention contemplates a departure 'from all previous-methods in reducing the oil to fine particles and the accomplishment is very sim le, the oil being introduced into a high spee vacuum machine and rapidly expanded therein as hereinafter more fully de-.

scribed.

In the structure illustrated in Figure 1, 1 is a vacuum pump of high speed rotary type having the rotor 2 eccentrically arranged in the chamber 3 and carrying the vanes 4. In the inlet 5 arranged at one side of the chamber 3 is secured a cylindrical casing 6 and in the centre of this casing is supported the oil nozzle 7. The nozzle which is spaced from the wall of the casing 6 is preferably provided with radial holes 8 leading from a central passage 9 which is controlled by the needle valve 10. A perforated rotary disc valve 11 controls the flow of air to the easing 6. y

Ihe oil is fed to the body of the valve 10 so from a filter 12 arranged above a suitable tank supply 13, being. drawn through the nozzle by the vacuum created in the pump. The oil discharging through the radial holes 8 is partly broken up by the flow of air or 63 gas through the casing 6 but the principal change in the condition of the oil occurs through the extremely rapid rarification of the elastic suspending medium in the suction side of the pump.

In the rotation of the rotor 2 the vanes 4 which are here shown provided with suitable contact shoes 4' engaging the inner Wall of the chamber 3 are moved in the direction of" the arrow past the upper wall a of the Chilll'lber A connected with the inlet 5 and as the vane continues to'swing through the rotation of the rotor, the volumetric capacity of the inlet chamber A is rapidly increased.

- This rapid increase in volumetric capacity is so greater than can be supplied by the inflou ing air and oil through the nozzle member 7, the result being that the air or other elastic suspending medium for the oil is rapidly expanded and the oil sprayed through the nozzle is by reason of such expansion broken into very fine particles.

On reference to Figure 4 it will be seen that when the vanes move into such a position through the rotation of the rotor that an opening is created between the discharge chamber B in the pump and the interior of the chamber 3, the opposite vane will have moved past the wall a and the inlet chamber is closed.

Upon the moving of the vanes past the wall I), the pressure of the previous discharge, which is much greater than the rarifiedpressure in the chamber 3, is allowed to enter the chamber 3, thereby subjecting the rarified air 1"" and the particles of the oil carried thereby, to a pressure shock and agitation which is preferably below the saturation pressure .of part or all of the constituents of the liquid.

The continued movement of the rotor vane which is following the one which has thus opened the discharge to communicate with the chamber 3, then expels the nebulized oil from the chamber 3 forcing it against the higher pressure of the previous discharge.

It is found in practice that this rapid raising of pressure within the chamber 3 of the pump containing the rarified suspending medium and oil not only produces a very effective vaporizing of the oil particles, but

1t effects a very material increase 1n temperature.

The increase in temperature due to compression is undoubtedly an important factor in effecting the gasification of the nebulized oil particles and the ultimate result is that the extremely fine particles produced remain in suspension and are not easily subject to condensation.

In the treatment of extremely heavy oils, such as ordinary fuel oil there may be a certain amount of condensation or lack of vaporization and such particles will fall to the chamber 15 arranged below the pump chamber. This oil will be heated by the heat of the pump and may be further heated by a steam jacket 14 and it is preferably carried back to the inlet oil nozzle where it mixes with the stiffer and heavier oil and helps it to reduce. Any excess is conducted back to the supply tank 13 through a check valve 16. Some oils may be handled to better advantage by emulsifying them and a tube 12' is connected to the filter to conduct a suitable emulsifying agent thereto.

The nebulized oil discharged from this pump is of an extraordinarily fine nature and readily supports combustion. It floats well and has the effec of carrying a flame a long distance in a furnace, thus producing the very best conditions of combustion as well as of heating.

In order to assist the distribution of the nebulized oil it is found advisable under certain conditions to boost the flow of the nebulized oil emanating from the vacuum pump. This may be accomplished by'attaching a blower to the discharge through a T connection such as illustrated in the pipe 17, Figure 2 or it may be desirable to take the nebulized oil from the pump discharge to the centre of a centrifugal blower and have it blown direct with the full force of the pump. It may be found desirable to use an installation which is capable of being operated either way and in the diagrammatic illustration of F igure 2 the blower 18 has a conduit 19 leading from the centre to the discharge end of the pump and its conduit 20 leading from the discharge of a blower is projected into the T pipe 17. Suitable valves 21 and 22 are provided to regulate the discharge openings.

In Figure 3 is shown an application of the invention to internal combustion engines. In this structure the discharge from the pump 1 is connected to the engine manifold 23 which is here shown provided with a connection 224 leading to a carbureter, which may be desirable to use for starting purposes. This connection is provided with a throttle 25 for shutting off the carburetor when the oil-is being used and an air inlet 26 is provided with a regulating throttle to control the flow of air to the manifold. A return tube 27 is carried from the manifold connection below the oil inlet to conduct any condensation back to the oil pump 1. A return bye pass 28 will circulate the nebulous fuel in the event of the flow becoming excessive.

It has been demonstrated in practice that the heaviest kind of fuel oils as low as between 12 and 14 Beaum can be nebulized without artificial heat to such a fine state that they will remain in suspension for an extraordinarily long period and as the velocity of discharge is not high, the speed of flow of the fuel will be relatively low. The fuel is therefore not carried through the combustion chamber at an excessive speed and these combined conditions ensure the remarkable result in combustion.

Though in the specification and claims I have termed my device a pump or compressor, it will be understood that its use does not necessarily involve the building up of any particular degree of pressure. In the expanding chamber a degree of vacuum is ordinarily present. The pressure at the outlet end of the device obviously depends upon the conditions and may be greater than or .equal to, or less than atmospheric pressure. The words pump and compressor as herein used are to be so understood.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A method of nebulizing liquid hydrocarbons consisting in introducing a quantity thereof with a restricted quantity of a gaseous combustion supporting, suspending medium into a chamber of an increasing volumetric capacity to effect the rarification of the hydrocarbon and suspending medium therein, then while maintaining said condidition of rarification within the chamber suddenly opening the chamber to admit aan elastic, combustion supporting, suspending medium having a volume at atmospheric pressure considerably below the maximum volumetric capacity of the vacuum chamber thereby eifecting the rarification of the suspending and suspended mediums, then closing said vacuum chamber against a further inflow maintaining said mediums in their attained state of rarification within the vacuum chamber, then while said mediumsare in their rarified state, suddenly opening said vacuum chamber and admitting thereinto a combustion supporting fluid under a pressure greater than the pressure therein to effect thereby the compression of the low pressure mixture contained therein and then discharging the mixture thus formed.

3. A method of nebulizing hydrocarbons consisting in introducing into a vacuum chamber having a rapidly increasing volumetric capacity limited quantities of liquid hydrocarbon and a r'estrictedquantity of an elastic, combustion supporting, suspending medium, having a volume at atmospheric pressure considerably below the maximum volumetric capacity of the vacuum chamber thereby effecting the rarification of the suspending and suspended mediums, then closing said vacuum chamber against a further inflow of said mediums maintaining said mediums in their attained state of rarification within the vacuum chamber, then While said mediums are in their state of rarification suddenly opening said vacuum chamber and admitting thereinto a combustion supporting fluid under pressure. greater than the pressure therein and eifecting thereby the instantaneous compression of the low pressure mixture contained therein and disruption of same to a vapor or fog condition and finally effecting the rapid discharge of the mixture from said chamber into a pressure storage chamber raising the pressure and temperature thereof.

4. A method of nebulizing a fluid hydrocarbon medium consisting in first rarifying the same in the presence of a restricted quantity of a gaseous combustion supporting suspending medium, then while in its'rarified form subjecting it suddenly to a considerably higher pressure condition by the application thereto of a previously compressed medium producing thereby a sudden generation of vapor throughout the entire mass of the fluid medium resulting in a sudden disruption of the mass into a fine mist or fog and the mixture of the transformed fluid medium with the suspending and previously compressed medium.

5. A means. for nebulizing liquid hydrocarbons, comprising a cylinder, a rotor encentrioally arranged in said cylinder and having vanes extending transversely thereof and beyond the rotor to engage the cylinder Wall substantially in alignment with the restricted gas inlet and unrestricted discharge chambers, arranged at either side of said rotor and opening into the cylinder at opposite sides thereof so that one of said vanes closes the inlet opening to the cylinderimmediately prior to the opening of the discharge opening by the other vane, the chamber formed between said oppositely arranged vanes being entirely unobstructed, and means for supplying fluid hydrocarbon and an elastic suspending medium in limited quantities to said inlet chamber.

6. A method of nebulizing-heavy oil consisting in introducing a limited quantity of the oil simultaneously with a limited quantity of a gaseous combustion supporting suspending medium into the suction chamber of a high speedrotary pump, expanding the medium and the oil and atomizing the same in the chamber, and then immediately subjecting the expanded mixture to the pressure and temperature of a previously discharged atomized mixture, and forcing the resultant mixture into the discharge chamber of the pump.

7. A method of nebulizing heavy oil consisting in introducing a limited quantity of the 011 simultaneously with a limited quantity of a gaseous combustion supporting suspending medium into the suction chamber of a high speed rotary pump, heating the mixture, expanding and atomizing the mixture in the chamber and then immediately subjecting the expanded mixture to the pressure and temperature of a previously discharged atomized mixture, and forcing the resultant mixture into thedischarge chamber of the pump.

8. A method of nebulizing liquid hydrocarbons which consists in subjecting a quantity thereof with a quantity of a gaseous combustion supporting suspending medium to sudden and rapid expansion at reduced presing said expanded mixture to increased pressure with resultant rise of temperature, there by reducing said hydrocarbon to a state of division so fine as to adapt it to float in air.

9. A method of nebulizing hydrocarbon oils which consists in introducing into a rapidly expanding chamber a mixture of said hydrocarbon and of a gaseous combustion supporting suspendingmedium, through an opening or openings insufficient in size to admit into said chamber during the expansion thereof a suificient quantity of said hydrocarbon and gaseous medium to fill the same at its maximum volume without. substantially decreasing the pressure within the chamber, and then immediately opening said chamber .to communicate with the chamber containing a previously discharged mixture of hydrocarbon and gaseous medium at a higher pressure, thereby reducing said hydrocarbon to a nebulized condition with the particles of hydrocarbon in such a fine state of division that they tend to remain suspended in the gaseous medium for a material length of time. p

10. A means for nebulizing liquid hydrocarbons comprising a rotary compressor having a chamber, means to restrict the supply to the intake side-of said compressor, means to drive said compressor at a high rate of speed, and means to feed a mixture of a hydrocarbon and gaseous medium through the restricted intake during the rotation of the compressor whereby a rapid and substantial decrease of pressure is effected, and means to effect a sudden and rapid increase in pics sure in the chamber as the mixture is discharged by the compressor, comprising a storage chamber in communication with the compressor,

11. A method of nebulizing heavy oil consisting in introducing a limited quantity of the oil in the form of a spray'simultaneously with a limited quantity of a gaseous combustion supporting suspending medium into the suction chamber of a high speed rotary pump, expanding the medium and the oil and atomizing the same in the chamber, and then immediately subjecting the expanded mixture to the pressure and temperature of a previously discharged atomized, mixture, and

forcing the resultant mixture into the discharge chamber of the pump.

12. A method of nebulizing liquid hydrocarbons which consists in introducing the same in the form of a spray,'subject1ng a quantity thereof with a quantity of a gaseous combustion supporting suspending medium to sudden and rapid expansion at reduced pressure, and then suddenly and rap- .idly subjecting said expanded mixture to increased pressure with resultant rise of temperature, thereby reducing said hydrocarbon to a state of division so fine as to adapt it to float in air.

WILLIAM EDWARD SHORE. 

